FARGO, ND – High profile Former North Dakota State Rep One of the most powerful members of the legislature, he pleaded guilty in federal court Thursday to charges that he traveled to Europe with the intention of paying for sex with a minor.
Ray Holmberg, 80, of Grand Forks, was charged in October 2023 with traveling with the intent to engage in unlawful sexual activity and obtaining and attempting to obtain child sexual abuse material. The Republican served in the North Dakota Senate for more than 45 years before stepping down in 2022. He initially pleaded not guilty and a trial was scheduled for September.
Under a plea deal he signed in June, Holmberg agreed to plead guilty to the earlier charge, and prosecutors will seek to dismiss the latter and recommend a sentence at the lower end of the guideline range.
The travel charge carries a maximum sentence of 30 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and lifetime supervised release.
In the plea agreement, Holmberg admitted that between approximately June 2011 and November 2016, he “traveled from Grand Forks, North Dakota, to Prague, Czech Republic on multiple occasions for the purpose of engaging in commercial sexual relations with minors under the age of 18. year.”
Holmberg has been subject to multiple release conditions, including travel restrictions, location monitoring and the surrender of his passport.
On Friday, a probation officer filed a report saying Holmberg had failed to comply with those conditions.
She wrote that she was verbally reprimanded and reminded of the conditions of her pretrial release after leaving her residence once and each visiting an adult novelty store without consent. He also accessed the internet “continuously” for unconfirmed reasons and refused to allow the monitoring software on his mobile device to be updated and serviced.
In May, Holmberg admitted to using alcohol after testing positive. Later that month, he was ordered to remove the unauthorized iPad from his home, and the judge added a condition limiting Holmberg’s access to electronic devices.
Since then, he has continued to access the Internet for unconfirmed reasons, the officer wrote.
“With respect, due to the statutory arrest warrant, the defendant is not considered a suitable candidate for self-surrender,” U.S. Pretrial Services Officer Christine Argall wrote.
Holmberg’s attorney, Mark Friese, declined an interview request. Holmberg was not arrested.
Former U.S. Attorney Tim Purdon said the report was a routine filing, but given the nature of Holmberg’s case, the alleged violations were serious.
“I am particularly concerned about the idea of him accessing the internet on unmonitored unverified devices. It’s really about somebody facing the type of charges that he’s facing,” Purdon said. He added that it is not unusual for Holmberg not to be arrested.
Holmberg has served in the state Senate since 1976 By mid-2022. At first, he announced that he would not seek re-election, but resigned Fargo-Moorhead exchanged dozens of text messages with a man in jail after reporting from the Forum. for child sexual abuse material.
Holmberg chaired the Senate Appropriations Committee, which writes budgets, for many years. He also chaired the Legislative Management panel, which handled various cases between biennial sessions. This work allows him to validate his journey.
Holmberg showed records obtained by The Associated Press made trips with them Since 1999 to all USA and other countries. Destinations include cities in more than 30 states, as well as Canada, Puerto Rico and Norway.
Earlier this year, the North Dakota School Boards Association returned about $142,000 Holmberg ended her role in the Global Bridges teacher exchange program months after publishing her travel notes following her indictment. used state funds While traveling to Prague and other European cities in 2011, 2018 and 2019.
It is unclear whether the alleged wrongdoing by authorities occurred on any of those trips.
Purdon said the factors in Holmberg’s case make it the most significant political scandal in North Dakota history.
“You have a very high-level politician. You literally have the worst allegation you can make, child sexual abuse and rape,” he said. “And then you think tax dollars are paying for the plane ticket.”